What We Eat and How We Feel
Quite a few people started paying attention to their eating habits to achieve their fitness goals. However, many of us do not realize that the food we consume affects our mental health as well. Studies show that eating a well-balanced diet can improve our emotional well-being and change our mood for the better.
According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO). To put it simply, no matter how much we workout and how many trophies we collect on apps like Strava, we’ll never feel quite well if our mental health isn’t under control. If you thought your relationship with someone you’re dating was complicated, you should hear about your body’s relationship with its components! What we eat affects our blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar level is low, then we feel depressed and anxious. However, when it’s high, then we become easily irritable. Can we ever please our blood sugar levels? And, how can we control how we feel by what we eat?
Studies have proved that nutrient deficiency, especially the low levels of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, can affect mood and our brain functions (White, 2018). Not just affect, they can be a deal-breaker when it comes to our mental health. Although all the nutrients are important for our mental and physical health, some nutrients are more equal than others (yes, I'm referring to George Orwell). So, if you often wonder why your mood is so unpredictable (when it’s not that time of the month) and why you feel down when everything in your life seems to be going just fine, then you are at the right place. I have shortlisted some of the nutrients that factor into us feeling the way we do.
Folate - low level of folate goes hand in hand with depression. Folate plays a leading role in the synthesis of serotonin in our bodies. As many already know, serotonin is responsible for making us feel happy. Therefore, serotonin deficiency attacks our mood, memory, sleep pattern, and increases the risk of developing depression (Taylor et al., 2004). To produce enough serotonin, we need around 400-600 micrograms of folate per day. So, next time you are in a grocery store, look for broccoli, spinach, kale, citrus, beans, or nuts.
Vitamin B12 is especially crucial when it comes to vegetarians and vegans among us(as the primary source of B12 are animal products). We need vitamin B12 to process serotonin, folate, fatty acids (Vogiatzoglou et al., 2008). Our body needs around 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily, which you can get from beef, salmon, sardines, shrimps, lamb, and dairy products.
Omega 3 fatty acids are known for being the biggest brain supporters. The three types of Omega: EPA, DHA, and AKA protect our mental health, too. All three types are necessary for our bodies to maintain strength (Witte et al., 2014). A thousand milligrams of Omega 3 is the perfect daily dose. A thousand sounds like quite a bit; however, it is a pretty easy number to reach with salmon, sardines, mackerel, flaxseeds, and our beloved walnuts.
Vitamin D is crucial for our health. An inadequate level of Vitamin D can lead to depression, fatigue, and mood swings. The primary source of Vitamin D is the sun; however, if you don’t live where the sun is shining every day of the year, you can still get small quantities of Vitamin D from oily fish, red meat, and egg yolk. Do not forget to add Vitamin D supplements to your diet, especially during cold months (Parker, Brotchie, and Graham, 2017).
Selenium is essential for a healthy brain and emotional well-being. Researchers have found that the lack of selenium in our diet is directly related to depression and increased anxiety levels (Bodnar and Wisner, 2005). The recommended amount of selenium, on the other hand, helps stabilize our mood. For the perfect result, experts recommend taking at least 55 micrograms of selenium per day that you can easily find in tuna, beef liver, Brazilian nuts, shrimps, and turkey.
Our brain and gut are way closer than anatomy classes would have us believe. So, feeling stressed and anxious makes our digestion perform worse than usual. In this case, make sure to drink more water, consume probiotics and fiber-rich foods, and stay active, even if it means dancing in your living room because hardly any places are open.
It is important to remember that each of us is unique. Therefore, our paths toward emotional well-being are just as unique. Different foods affect us differently, so never, by any means, compare your diet to that of someone else. Interestingly enough, our bodies have their food memory, and when we feel down, we turn to our comfort food because it brings back the memories of when we felt good about ourselves. We can't achieve a healthy relationship with food without first developing a healthy relationship with ourselves. So, eat a variety of fruit and veggies, exercise, explore nature (if the weather is in your favor), meditate, keep a diary, and last but not least, spend quality time with your loved ones.
References:
Bodnar, L.M., and Wisner, K.L. (2005). Nutrition and depression: implications for improving mental health among childbearing-aged women. Biological psychiatry, 58(9), pp.679-685.
Parker, G.B., Brotchie, H., and Graham, R.K. (2017). Vitamin D and depression. Journal of affective disorders, 208, pp.56-61.
Taylor, M.J., Carney, S.M., Goodwin, G.M., and Geddes, J.R. (2004). Folate for depressive disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 18(2), pp.251-256.
Vogiatzoglou, A., Refsum, H., Johnston, C., Smith, S.M., Bradley, K.M., De Jager, C., Budge, M.M., and Smith, A.D. (2008). Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly. Neurology, 71(11), pp.826-832.
White, D. (2018). Improving Your Emotional Health Through Healthier Eating. Psych Central.
World Health Organisation (1946), Official Records of WHO, no. 2, p. 100.
Witte, A.V., Kerti, L., Hermannstädter, H.M., Fiebach, J.B., Schreiber, S.J., Schuchardt, J.P., Hahn, A. and Flöel, A. (2014). Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids improve brain function and structure in older adults. Cerebral cortex, 24(11), pp.3059-3068.
Written by Associate Nutritionist and Ph.D. Candidate Rusudan Gvamichava
Text Edited by Anano Itriashvili
Illustrated by Ina Lee